The Power of a Teacher: Some Memories As You Retire, Mrs. D

This afternoon I will be attending a retirement reception for one of my high school teachers, but not just any teacher, one who truly impacted me; and the funny thing is, I never even took her class.  Mrs. Dandridge, or Mrs. D, was our student council sponsor.  In that role, we spent several years and many hours with her.

The time we spent proves a point, relationships are built with time.  With the meetings, the conventions, the homecoming planning, the special events, and more, we became more than just teacher and student, she became a mentor and a friend. Once again, I find myself thankful for social media.  Because of social media I'm able to share her retirement day with her.

Being the analytical person that I am, I've been contemplating what to do for her, a card, a gift, what?  As I was reflecting, I recalled so many memories and knew that my senior book was filled with them.  As a teacher myself, I decided what better gift than a heartfelt thank-you and a few flashbacks.



These words, signed in my senior book, gave me hope and encouragement.  Hope and encouragement that I had what it took to accomplish my goals.  I believed her, and based on her actions, I believed she loved me.  She also forgave me for hitting her parked truck my junior year in high school.  How crazy is that!  You fall asleep at the wheel, have a wreck, and the truck you hit belongs to one of your favorite teachers.

Some of my fondest memories of my senior year were with student council.  Looking back, I think it was because I learned so much about being a responsible contributor to society, how to be organized, plan projects, have goals and reach them, but I also met some great friends.

I remember Mrs. D becoming a friend, too.  She became not just a mentor, but a friend because she laughed with us, she danced with us, and she talked to us about life.


Now that I'm at the high school, I realize the sacrifices she made to love us.  I realize how her children and husband had to share her with us.  And for that I thank them.  I hope as I continue my career that at least one student will recall my class or my interactions with them in the fond way that I recall Mrs. D.   It would be an honor to me, and to her, for all of the influence she had on my life.

I especially want to thank Mrs. D for talking with me about college when I didn't have people in my family to walk me through it.  As I am talking to my class about the difference between motivation, ambition, and hope, I'm feeling blessed for Mrs. D and the other teachers in my life who gave me hope that I could use my motivation to reach my ambitions.

Mrs. D, I hope you enjoy your retirement; it's more than well-deserved.  West will surely not be the same without you, but after taking care of so many students these past 35 years, you deserve a time to take care of you, .  Have fun with your grand-babies.  Make memories and know you made a difference; your influence lives in all of us.  May your retirement be all that you wish for.

Love,
Lisa

Mother's Day,Teaching, and A Heart That is Still Healing

Some weeks are easier than others.  I'm pretty sure that's a true statement for most people.  This past week wasn't one of the easy ones.   At school, we had testing, lots of testing.  In addition to the STAAR Assessments, we had AP tests going on.  I administered the AP Spanish test.  What a day that was!  The test involves CD players, audio recordings, and CD burning.  Testing alone is enough to make a hard week, but then my husband got sick, my daughter got sick, and my husband and I got in a disagreement over something silly.  Stress will do that.

Being a teacher and being a mom is hard.  This week I was feeling especially down on myself for being a less than ideal mom, mostly because of social media envy.  I see posts of moms doing cool things for their kids or with their kids and I think, why didn't I think of that, or why didn't I take them to do that, and I remember.  I was probably grading papers, planning lessons, sending an email, or answering a remind.  It's May.  We are all exhausted.  I convince myself that my kids do have a good mom; they just happen to share her with other kids, too.  I don't usually let things like this bother me.  I do the best I can and I believe that God placed my kids and me right where we are supposed to be.  I couldn't help but wonder why the mommy guilt was nagging at me more than usual, and then it hit me.  I missed my mommy.

My Mom and Me - 1999

When your bucket is empty, and you're feeling like you aren't good enough, who can you count on to always lift you up?  Your mom.  My mom passed away on Mother's Day, 2014.  My heart seems to know.  As I parent these teenagers, I long to hear her voice, and her advice, and her cheering me on; because that's what moms do.  I firmly believe God has a perfect plan, but I also know that it's okay to slow down and mourn for what you miss by not having her around.  I still need to remind myself to give my sadness and my worry to God.  He can carry the sorrows that my heart can't always bear.

Mother's Day will always be a bittersweet holiday for me.  I need to remind myself that my being a mom all started with her.  And through me, her legacy lives on.  If I can be there for my kids as often as my mom was there for me, then I have nothing to regret about my mommy powers.  It's these people who remind me daily that being a mom is what makes my heart beat stronger, even while it is healing.

These two:  This man who trusted me to become the bonus mom to his little girl.  This man who took a second chance on love.  That trust and that chance enabled me to become a mom.

1999

This little baby:  This little boy, my man-child.  This picture says it all.  I adore him.  God chose me to be his mom, but he chose him to fill my heart with a kind of love that I didn't know I had.  

2000

This beautiful girl:  That smile, my daughter, whom I wished for since I was a little girl.  I had no idea how precious she would grow up to be.  From the moment I found out she was a girl, I couldn't wait to meet her.  This angel completes our family perfectly.

2002

These three:  The frame says it all.  Dreams really do come true.  I don't live a princess life, but I live a good life.  I love my job.  I love my kids.  I love my husband.  Yes, my heart has some broken pieces, and they may not ever mend, but cup runneth over with blessings.  So, today, I will mourn, I will celebrate, and I will remember:  Being a mom started with my mom who molded me into the lady I am today.

2002

My Best Lesson

My best lesson?  I've been teaching so long and have taught so many things, this is a difficult question.  I've taught kids to read, write, spell, add, subtract, multiply, divide, to problem solve, to create, and more, but I've also taught kids about history and science, and the love of a good book.  One of my favorite things to do as a teacher is to read to kids.  Reading a book and having the kids get into it is the best!

I do remember the first time I taught a "wow" lesson.  I was in my first semester of student teaching, the primarily observation semester.  We were assigned to teach a math lesson.  The lesson I designed and created was on combinations of numbers.  I used the number of kids in a family.  I created manipulatives of boys and girls for the students to use to create different combinations of siblings.  I will never forget the feeling of hearing my mentor teacher tell me she couldn't have planned a better lesson.  I truly looked up to her and admired her teaching craft; it meant a lot to know I had accomplished a truly good lesson.  A lesson where kids were not only engaged, but caught on and understood.

I have taught a lot of good lessons over my years, and a lot of lessons that didn't go as planned, but my favorite thing to teach is writing.  I love seeing a child finally see themselves as a writer.  Many people don't like to write.  It's seen as hard work.  As a writer, you wear a lot of hats, the art of writing is daunting for many.  When I can get a student to believe in their ability to write, I have given them a gift that will keep on giving.  They have learned to communicate their thoughts so that they may share them with others.  Writing is an art that goes across disciplines and across careers.  Writers keep the world informed.  Being a writer is a powerful thing.

Below is a sample of one of my favorite pieces of fourth-grade writing.  You can truly hear this child's voice in her work.  She worked hard that year to grow as  a writer.  It is empowering to know I helped her find her writer's voice because it can go with her wherever she goes.  Teaching writing isn't easy, but the fruits of labor are truly worth it.